Knife cleaner for type-casting machines



Des. 18, 1945. H. w. MICHALKE 2,391,259 r KNIFE CLEANER FOR TYPE CASTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 23, 1944 /7 A9 2/ if v /6' M Jim/Mfr Patented Dec. 18, 1945 1 UNITED STATES YPATVENT OFFICE KNIFE CLEANER FOR TYPE-CASTING 'MACHINES Herman Michalke, Denver, Colo. Application September 23, 1944, Serial No. 555,536

' (cuss-s2) Claims.

This invention relates to aiknife wiper for the knives of linotype machines. The usual typecasting machine such as a linotype machine is provided with a reciprocating knife wiper bar on the extremity of which a projecting, resilient, brass wiper blade is, carried. This blade is pulled edgewise along the sharpened edges of the knives by the reciprocation of the wiper bar for the purpose of removing any lead curls or other adhering metallic particles from the knife edges.

These brass wiper blades are not satisfactory due to the fact that it is difficult to adjust them so that they will bearevenly and uniformly on both knife edges. The usual result is that the wiper blade will clean the edge of the fixed knife satisfactorily but will not contact the edge of the adjustable knife, due 'to the fact that the fixed knife holds the wiper' out of contact with the adjustable knife.'

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a knife wiper which will bear uniformly with light pressure on the edges of both knife blades regardless of any inequalities in the setting of the blades, the wiper, or the wiper bar.

. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved knifewiper which can be installed in place of the present wiper blades without change in the associated mechanisms, and which will have sufficient thinnessto pass through the restricted space between the knife edges and the mold head of the machine.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the fol lowing description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the improved knife cleaner; Fig. 4 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a rear view thereof; Fig.6 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 3; and

Fig. '7 is a detail view of a leaf spring employed in the device.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and iillustrate theactual size of I arrow A in Fig. 2. The improved cleaner is designated to slide along the edges II and I3 to remove any adhering metal therefrom.

The improved cleaner consists of a back plate I5 having a shape and contour similar to the standard wiper blade. The back plate I5 is secured to the wiper bar I4 by means of the usual wiper attachment screws I6, there being suitable screw openings 22 formed in the plate [5 for the passage of the screws IS. A spacer block I! may be positioned between the back plate l5 and the wiper ,bar I4 to place the former forwardly of the knife edges II and' I3, as indicated in Two studs I8 are afiixed to the rear face of the plate l5 and project rearwardly therefrom on each side of the knife edges II and I3. A wiper blade I9 is mounted on the studs I8 so that it may move toward or away from the plate I5.

The blade I9 is constantly urged away from the plate I5 bymeans of a resilient, arcuate, leaf spring 29. The extremities of the spring 20 are perforated as shown at 24 to ride freely on the studs I8. The studs act to hold the spring 20 in place between the plate I5 and the blade I9. The extremities of the spring 20 bear against the extremities of the blade I9 and the intermediateportion of the spring 20 bears against the plate l5. 'This construction allows either or both extremities of the blade I9 to be forced toward the plate I5.

In use, the blade I9 wears against the sharpened edges II and I3 and will bear uniformly against both edges" regardless of their alignment and regardless of the alignment of the plate I5 so as to completely remove any adhering metal from both edges at each reciprocation of the wiper bar I4.

The plate I5, the blade I9 and the spring 20 are all relatively thin so that the, entire assembly will occupy but little more space than the thickness of the standard wiper blade. This is The adjustable knife bar is il1us-' necessary due to the restricted space in the machine between the knife edges II and I3 and the mold head of the machine.

The back plate [5 may be formed of steel or any other desired metal or material for strengthening purposes. The wiping blade l9, however, is preferably formed of brass or some relatively soft metal so that it will not injure the knife edges II and I3.

The studs 18 are provided with suitable heads 2| at their free extremities to prevent the blade is from being forced from place when the assembly is out of the machine. When in place in the machine, the knife edges prevent this blade from being forced from place. The studs l8 may be formed from the material of the plate I5 or secured to the plate in any desired manner, such as by riveting, brazing, welding, or soldering.

The knife bar I2 is, of course, adjustable to allow slugs of different thicknesses to pass between the two knives. Therefore, the plate l5 and the blade I9 are made sufficiently long to accommodate the widest possible separation of the knife bars.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A blade wiper for cleaning the edges of the side knives of a type-casting machine of the type having a vertically reciprocating knife wiper bar positioned to one side of said knives, comprising: a back plate having vertically-arranged screw openings in its one extremity to permit attachment to the wiper bar of the machine so that the plate will extend horizontally from one side of said bar across the front of the knife edges; and a floating wiper blade resiliently supported from said back plate between the latter and the knife edges.

2. A blade wiper for cleaning the edges of the side knives of a type-casting machine of the type having a vertically reciprocating knife wiper bar positioned to one side of said knives, comprising: a back plate having vertically-arranged screw openings in its one extremity to permit attachment to the wiper bar of the machine so that the plate will extend horizontally for one side of said bar across the front of the knife edges; an elongated horizontal wiper blade positioned between said back plate and the edges in alignment with the former; and resilient means urging said blade from said plate.

3. A blade wiper for cleaning the edges of the side knives of a type-casting machine of the type having a vertically reciprocating knife wiper bar positioned to one side of said knives, comprising: a back plate having vertically-arranged screw openings in its one extremity to permit attachment to the wiper bar of the machine so that the plate will extend horizontally from one side of said bar across the front of the knife edges; an elongated horizontal wiper blade positioned between said back plate and the edges in alignment with, the former; resilient means urging said blade from said plate; and guide means carried by said back plate for guiding the movement of said plate in a horizontal plane.

4. A blade Wiper for cleaning the edges of the side knives of a type-casting machine of the type having a vertically reciprocating knife wiper bar positioned to one side of said knives, comprising: a back plate having vertically-arranged screw openings in its one extremity to permit attachment to the wiper bar of the machine so that the plate will extend horizontally from one side of said bar across the front of the knife edges; an elongated horizontal wiper blade positioned between said back plate and the edges in alignment with the former; resilient means urging said blade from said plate; and a pair of separated studs projecting from said back plate through receiving openings in said blade to support the latter.

5. A blade wiper for cleaning the edges of the side knives of a type-casting machine of the type having a vertically reciprocating knife wiper bar positioned to one side of said knives, comprising: a back plate having vertically-arranged screw openings in its one extremity to permit attachment to the wiper bar of the machine so that the plate will extend horizontally from one side of said bar across the front of the knife edges; an elongated horizontal wiper blade positioned between said back plate and the edges in alignment with the former; resilient means urging said blade from said plate; a pair of separated studs projecting from said back plate through receiving opening in said. blade to support the latter, said blade being freely movable along said studs; and means for preventing removal of said blade from said studs.

HERMAN W. MICI-IALKE. 

